Miles Halter: How Will I Ever Get Out Of This Labyrinth '

Book Summary
Miles Halter, a teenage boy who lives in Florida moves to Alabama for his junior year in High School. He attends Culver Creek Preparatory High School, a boarding school which his father and uncles also attended. Miles Halter is especially fascinated by author’s last words and memorizes them passionately. Arriving at Culver Creek, he meets his roommate Chip “the Colonel” Martin. He is soon introduced to the Colonel’s friends Alaska Young and Takumi Hikohito. Miles is initially attracted to Alaska and later falls in love with her. Alaska, however, insists on keeping their relationship platonic, since she has a boyfriend. Miles’ bond with his friends further develops and they find themselves partaking in stereotypical teenage situations like drinking, partying and smoking together. One night, after heavy drinking Alaska and Miles spend the night together. In the middle of the night, Alaska realizes it was her mother’s birthday and

Firstly, I find it a beautiful quote because she’s trying to explain that suffering binds all religions. Secondly – at the beginning of the book, Alaska gives Miles a riddle to solve from a man’s last words: “Damn it. How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?” Miles first interpreted the sentence by metaphorically replacing the labyrinth with life and death. However, on page 102 Alaska revealed that the labyrinth was a metaphor for suffering and that his quest was to end his never-ending suffering. Alaska explains that the person was talking about the pain, the pain which is brought to people who have done something wrong and in return something or someone wronged them. I find the passage extremely insightful and very deep. To me it is a key scene in the book, seeing as the mystery of his last words is finally unsolved. During the scene, Alaska and Miles are laying down very close next to each other. It’s a very personal scene between the two of them and not much is